If you're looking for a nice lakeside retreat just outside of Denver, Bingham Lake Park at the Pinery in Parker, Colorado is a great destination. While you can't swim here, catch and release fishing is encouraged, there's a mile long looping trail and picnic tables up on a hill.

While it's pretty during the day, at sunset the views are particularly spectacular.Here are some photos of the lake.

Here's a photo of my stepson enjoying the lake.

My little daughter's favorite part was the walking trail, though. She really loves stroller rides and being carried down the trail. Here are a couple happy photos of her in the stroller.

Here are more photos of the walking trail. There's plenty to see!

And here are the picnic tables. There's a great view of the lake from here. For those that wait too long to go to the bathroom, there's also a port-a-potty available on this side of the lake.

While you can park on the hill near the picnic tables, there's another parking lot on the other side of the park.

Look at all these wild deer in these backyards at the Pinery! They are very calm, as they are very used to people.

Be forewarned that there is a playground nearby on this parking lot side, but it's for residents only. The park itself is public, but the playground is for Pinery HOA kids only!

This is definitely one of my favorite parks in Colorado. We will definitely be going back for more fun here in the future!

We also strive to one day cuddle with lions and giraffes. Until then, we’ll settle for furry rescue kitties and doggies.

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